Sign reflecting in predetermined direction



June 9, 1936. I s F, ARBUCKLE ET AL 2,043,690

SIGN REFLECTING IN PREDETERMINED DIRECTION Filed Dec. 4, 1951 v 2sheetsfsheet 1 www TTORNEYS.

June 9; 1936. s F ARBUCKLE ET AL 2,043,690

SIGN REFLECTING IN PREDETERMINED DIRECTION Filed Dec. 4, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNREFLECTING IN PREDETEBJVIINED DIRECTION Application December 4, 1931,Serial No. 579,036

12 Claims.

Our invention relates to signs and particularly to signs having asurface from which impinging light rays are reflected in a predetermineddirection and within a limited zone in which the indicia of the sign areviewed. l

Reflecting surfaces have been employed heretofore for the purpose ofilluminating signs for appraising automobile operators of danger ordirections. The light impinging on the sign was that emanating from theheadlight of the operators automobile and when at reflecting surfaceswere provided on the indicia of the sign, the reflection therefrom oftennever reached the vision of the operator or if it did a flash of theindicia was the limit of warning effected thereby.

In order to overcome this objectionable feature and to increase therange of visibility laterally of the indicia, embossed surfaces in theform of pyramids or like multi-sided figures were employed for thepurpose of deflecting the light in all directions, so that a portion ofthe light would be reflected within the vision of the operator. Thisconstruction increased the duration during which the reflected lightfrom the indicia reached the vision of the operator but owing to theplurality of deflecting surfaces the light was diused in all directionsand the distance at which the reflected light was visible wassubstantially decreased.

Since the advent of improved road surfaces and high powered automobilesthe warning signal should reach the operator a considerable distanceahead of the threatening danger and should continue to send out warningrays up to the time the danger zone is reached. In practicing ourinvention we considerably strengthen the intensity of the light raysreflected in the path of a vehicle operator, by providing embossedsurfaces of such 'form and configuration that all of the light impingingthereon is deflected into a path in which the .vehicle travels whenapproaching the warning sign.

It will be readily apparent that when the horizontal dispersion of thelight from the surface of the indicia is reduced from degrees tosubstantially 25 degrees that the reected light within the 25 degreezone is substantially seven times as intense as that of the same -lightdeflected over the 180 degrees. When lw consider that the lightheretofore deflected upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal waslikewise lost to the vision of the operator it is very apparent that iflight is deflected backwardly in a zone approximately 25 degrees squarethat its intensity is increased approximately 50 times.

Accordingly, one object of our invention is to provide the indicia of asign with embossed surfaces of such form and configuration as to defleetthe impinging light from an illuminating source back into a zoneencompassing the source. 5

Another object of our invention is to provide a sign of the abovementioned type with embossed surfaces which shall reflect the lightimpinging thereon in a direction to encompass the source at all times asthe source approaches the sign.

A further object of our invention is to provide a sign having embossedreflecting surfaces thereon which uniformly reect the impinging lightrays in a predetermined direction and which is incapable of deflectingrays in any other direcl5 tion in order that all the rays will bedeflected in a zone from which the sign will be viewed.

A still further object of our invention is to provide the indicia of asign of the above mentioned type with embossed surfaces some of which 20shall deflect light from one source into a zone, others of which shalldeflect light from another source into the same zone whereby either orboth sources are available for illuminating the indicia within the zonefrom which the sign is to be 25 viewed.

Numerous other objects and features of novelty of our invention will beeither specifically pointed out, or will become apparent when referring.for a better understanding of our inven- 30 tion, to the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front View, in elevation, of a sign bearing indicia` whichembody features of our invention,

Fig. 2 is a reduced perspective view of the sign shown `in Figure 1,disclosing the area in which the light rays'of an approaching automobileis reflected,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken view of a portion 40 of the surface of anindicia illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken alongthe lines 4 4 thereof,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig.4,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken alongthe lines 6 6 thereof,

Fig. '7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the surface of an indiciaembodying a modified form of our invention,

Fig. 8'is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 7, taken alongthe line 8 8 thereof,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 7, taken alongthe line 9 9 thereof,

Plz. 10 is a face view, in elevation of a name 55 plate bearing indiciawhich embodies a modified form of our invention,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the plate shown in Fig. 10, mounted on alight supporting bracket,

Fig. 12 is an enlarged broken view of a portion of the surface of anindicium shown in Figs. 10 andli,

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 12, takenalong the lines |3-l3 thereof,

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the structure shown` in Fig. 12, takenalong the lines I4--I4 thereof,

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 12, takenalong the lines |5-I5 thereof,

Fig. 16 is a reduced broken view of a modified form of structure whichour invention may assume,

Fig. 17 is a view of structure similar to that of Fig. 16 showing afurther modified form thereof, and

Fig. 18 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated inFig. 17, taken on the line lil-I8 thereof.

Our invention comprises in general a stop sign 20 which is mounted at a'street intersection for the purpose of warning a vehicle driver that theapproaching street is for through traffic and that a stop must be madebefore proceeding across the intersection.

It is readily apparent that if the stop sign is not properly illuminatedthat serious accidents will y result during the night time when such asign is invisible to an approaching automobile driver. Reflectingsurfaces have been employed heretofore, as above mentioned, forreflecting light from the indicia of the sign but due to the large areaover which the light was diffused the reflecting surfaces for stop signsnever prove satisfactory. To assure adequate lighting of the sign atnight, it has been the practice to provide the sign with a box likestructure in Which electric lamps illuminate the indicia during thenight time. This practice however proved extremely expensive because ofthe large number of streets intersecting main thoroughfares.

In practicing our invention we employed a sign similar to thoseheretofore utilized and preform the surfaces of the indicia thereof insuch manner that substantially all of the light falling upon the indiciais uniformly dispersed within a small area on one side of a verticalplanev through the sign, which area encompasses the source of the lightrays. The surfaces are so formed that as the source of light approachesthe sign the area of reflected rays changes position therewith toencompass the source of light a substantial portion of its approach.

The stop sign is herein shown as being mounted on a post at a streetintersection facing the approaching portion of the street and it is tobe understood that the particular mounting or positioning of the signforms no part of our invention as the 'reflecting surfaces may be placedat any angle to thereby reflect light in a predetermined direction andzone.

As the driver of an approaching vehicle is required to occupy the righthand portion of the streeft, the area. in which the light need Abereiecteilisquite small and if all the light striking the indicia isreflected within this area the inv tensity of the reflected light willbe sufdcient to Warn the driver a considerable distance from theintersection.- By having all the reflected rays concentrated within theabove mentioned limited area we provide a reflected light of anintensity substantially fty times that of the same light when reected inall directions.

The curvature of the raised surfaces on the indicia are arranged inpredetermined relation to each other and are herein disclosed as beingprovided in rows which facilitates the polishing of the surfaces byallowing a polishing wheel to reach downwardly between the adjacentsurfaces to thereby strike and polish all portions of the surfaces ofthe indicia. By arranging the surfaces in this manner the verylimiteddispersion of the light from each of the surfaces is sufficientto permit the light from one' suurface to overlap that from anotherwhich thereby constitutes a continuous source of reflected light whichradiates substantially from the entire surface of the indicia.

Referring to Figure 1, the through-traffic stop sign 20 is shown asbeing ofconventional form having indicia embossed therein and having thesurface of the indicia of the word thru tramo painted a different colorfrom the bodyr portion of the sign. The embossed letters stop havereilecting surfaces thereon of such form and configuration as to embodythe features of our invention, which will now be described.

As pointed out hereinabove the surfaces on the indicia are formed toreflect the impinging light rays from a source which is approaching onone side of a vertical to the stop sign, back in a restricted areatoward and including the source on the same side of the vertical formwhich the source is approaching. Such an area of reflected light isdisclosed in Fig. 2 wherein the stop sign 20 is positioned on one cornerof an intersection facing along one side of the street backwardly awayfrom the corner. The light is shown as being reflected in a rectangulararea which substantially reaches to the center of the right hand portionof the street and is of sufficient height to encompass the approachingvehicle from which the light rays emanate. The surfaces are formed toreect the light toward the source in al1 positions of approach in orderthat the area of refiected light follows the source throughout asubstantial portion thereof.

An enlarged sectional view of a portion of surfaces 2I of an indicia asillustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the surfaces are arranged in rows bothvertically and horizontally in a somewhat similar manner to thepositioning of the rows of embossed reecting surfaces provided on theindicia disclosed and claimed in our co-pending application, SerialNumber 456,786, led May 28, 1930. The purpose of arranging the surfacesin geometric relation is to provide a continuous band 'of dispersion ofthe reected rays ensues to provide a beam rather than a point or line oflight. A plurality of rays 23 are shown in the lower portion of thefigure having arrows 24 thereon, indicating the direction of approach ofthe rays 0f light to the surfaces 22. As the rays impinge upon thesurfacesthey are reflected backwardly in a manner disclosed by thearrows 25 in aA75 plurality of overlapping parallel beams whichencompass the source of the rays 23.

It will be noted that each of the surfaces 22 reflects the light in asimilar manner and in a zone 26 of substantially less than fifty degreesin width, which zones overlap each other to prof vide a continuous bandof horizontally reflected light. 'Ihe beam of light is reected toinclude the source from which the rays 23'emanate which assures that thewarning signal will be visible to the operator of an approachingautomobile during a substantial portion of its distance of approach.Sinceall of the impinging rays are reilected in the restricted areawhich encompasses the source it is very apparent that the intensity ofthe reflected rays is quite considerable and that the indicia will bevisible to the operator a substantial distance before an intersection isreached.

A portion of the Structure shown in Fig. 4 is illustrated in Fig. 5 todisclose more specically the curvature of the surface 22. 'Ihe surfaceis provided with substantially the same contour as that of one-half ofthe surface described and illustrated in my above mentionedl co-pendingapplication, having substantially all of the surface between thecentrally disposed bracket 21 of a plane or slightly arcuate contourwhile the upper and lower end portions thereof are respectively ofgreater curvature or slightly convexed.

This particular formation limits the dispersion of the impinging lightrays to a predetermined width and enables the reflected beams toslightly overlap to effect a continuous zone of reflected light.

A downwardly extending surface 28 is a supporting rather than areflecting surface and is therefore provided as perpendicular as ispossible and at the same time to permit the egress of the die from theinwardly pressed recess beneath the raised surface. The height of thesurface 23 is chosen in relation to the distance the stop sign is to bemounted from the street intersection to regulate the pitch of the curvedreflecting surfaces 22 so that the beams of light therefrom arereflected into an area on the right hand portion .of the street whenfacing the sign.

We have shown a vertical .section through the surfaces 22 in Fig. 6, forthe purpose of illustrating the vertical slope or curvature of thesurface 22. The surface is shown as sloping rearwardly at its -upperportion for the purpose of reflecting rays upwardly a height equal to orsomewhat ls than the width of the reflected zone.

The slope of the surfa`ces thus described is utilized when the stop signis positioned below i the vision of the automobile operator so that thearea of reflected light is of a height suicient to reach the vision ofthe operator. It is to be understood that when the stop sign is raisedabove the vision of the operator that the curvature will be in theopposite direction, curving inwardly at its bottom portion to therebyreect the light downwardly into the operator's vision. When the sign isplaced exactly on a level with the operators vision the verticalcurvature of the surfaces may be slight and substantially flat torefleet a band of light'of a width sufficient only to span the vision ofthe operator.

We have shown a modified formof our invention in Figs. 7, 8 and 9wherein the embossed surfaces on the indicia are shaped to have a formof substantially one-half that of the semi-frusto pyramidal shapeprovided on the embossed reflecting surfaces disclosed in the abovementioned copending application. Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, it will benoted that the surfaces 3|, 32 and 33 thereof are provided with acurvature which is similar to that of the surface 22 above mentioned andillustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the reflected light 5 is retained within apredetermined limited area.

, A stopsign provided with embossed surfaces of the form disclosed inFig. 7, reects light in a restricted zone from the surface 32 and aportion from the surface 3| to warn the driver of the apl0 proachingautomobile of the danger at the intersection. If the sign is of arcuateor semi-cylindrical shape, the light rays from the same source impingingon and reecting from the surface 33 and a portion of the surface 3| in anarrow zone i3 would warn an operator of a car on the through streetthat danger is present on his left at the intersection. The uppersurface 34 which would reflect light upwardly and out of the vision ofthe two approaching automobiles, has been formed 20 substantiallyperpendicular to the base to thereby increase the intensity of thereflected light from the surfaces 3|, 32 and 33.

We have shown a license plate '39, in Fig. 10, on which the indicia havethe reecting surl5 faces above described embossed thereon in such mannerthat an approaching automobile from the `rear of the one bearing thelicense plate is warned both by its own reflected light and by that froma tail light which also illuminates the plate. We have shown an enlargedsection of the indicia bearing the embossed surfaces in Fig. 12,disclosing the alternate rows of the two forms of surfaces.

` A section of the surfaces is illustrated in Fig. 35 I3 wherein a rowof surfaces 40 are provided. adjacent to a row of surfaces 4| which arealternately disposed throughout the length of the indicia. The surfaces40 ar'e similar to the surfaces disclosed in Fig. 7 having three sides42, 43 43 and 44 which bear a similar relation to each other as thesides 3|, 32 and 33 above mentioned. In this construction the light fromthe surfaces 40 of the name plate is reflected to the left and slightlyabove and below the center line thereof. 45

The surfaces 4| are similar to the surfaces 22 disclosed in Figs. 1 to 5inclusive and are provided in a plane disposed at substantially 45degrees to the vertical for the purpose of reflecting a downwardlydirected ray horizontally within a restrict- 53 I ed area. Thehorizontal contours of the surfaces are illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15wherein the surface 40 is disclosed of such shape as to reect theimpinging ght ray over a restricted area slightly to the le t of thevertical so that the driver of an automobile who is passing the vehiclebearing the license plate, will have the light from the indiciareflected into his vision when approaching the vehicle from its left.

It will be noted that substantially none of the C0 rays are reflected tothe right of the vertical since the driver of the approaching vehicleoccupies its left hand side and always passes a vehicle on its left sothat there is no need of the light being reflected in any otherdirection except to the c5 rear and left within a predetermined area. Inthis arrangement the reflected light will be considerably more intensethan when surfaces are employed which diffuse the rays in alldirections.l

In Fig. 15 a section is disclosed of the surfaces 4| wherein thesurfaces are of such contour that the light is reflected in an areasubstantially rearwardly of the indicia. As pointed out hereinabove andillustrated in Fig. 6, the surfaces may have a slightly greatercurvature for thepurpose of broadening the horizontal dispersion of thelight, or may have the surface slope inwardly at the left hand portionto increase the width of the zone to the left for the purpose abovementioned in regards to the surfaces 42.

Referring to Figure 1l, a tail light 48 is supported on a bracket 4lwhich is the supporting means for the license plate 39. In thisarrangement the light rays 48 from the tail light strike upon thesurfaces d@ and 4l embossed upon the indicia ofthe name plate 39. Therays striking the surface 40 are deflected downwardly into the roadwaywhile the rays striking the surfaces il are reflected substantiallyhorizontally being dispersed somewhat in a restricted zone which isdirected rearwardly and preferably to the left to encompass the visionof an approaching vehicle operator.

The lights of the approaching vehicle striking against the surface l5@is, as noted above, deflected rearwardly in such manner as to becumulative with the light reected from the surface di to strike thevision of the operator and to thereby intensely illuminate the indicia.In this construction the embossed surfaces provide a reflected light tothe vision of an approaching automobile operator which is available wheneither the tail light or the headlight of the approaching vehicle, isout and is of considerable intensity when both of the lights provide asource of rays which impinge upon the indicia.

We have illustrated in Fig. 1l, a dot and dash line view of the licenseplate 39 showing the plate disposed at substantially degrees to thevertical which is the maximum allowable tilt of the plate. In thisconstruction-the surfaces fl@ and 4l are changed relative to the plate39 to be disposed relative to the vertical in the same manner as theyare disposed thereto when the plate is in a vertical plane. The samereflection of the light rays from predetermined sources will obtain forany disposition of the plate when the position of the surfaces areretained the same relative to the vertical.

While we have designated hereinabove and illustrated in Figs. 5, 7 and12 reflecting surfaces provided in vertical and horizontal rows for thepurpose of effecting the polishing of all points thereof with a greaterease. it is to be understood that the surfaces may be otherwisedisposed. In Fig. 16 we have illustrated reecter surfaces 50 ofsemi-spherical shape disposed in diagonal rows but otherwise similarlyrelated while in Fig. Al'I we have illustrated semi-spherical surfaces50 and adjacent partially semi-spherical surfaces 5| in nested relationto each other. In Fig. 18 we have shown a section through the structureillustrated in Fig. 17 to disclose the similarity between thisconstruction and that of Figs. 12 and 13. In any construction the lightis reected in a predetermined direction within a predetermined arearegulated by the slope of the surfaces and their disposition relative toa light source.

It will thus be seen that we have provided surfaces for reflecting lightin a restricted area and in a predetermined direction wherebysubstantially all of the light from a source, impinging upon the indiciais reflected in a limited area on one side of the vertical to therebyprovide a directed reflected light beam of considerable intensity. Byproviding surfaces of predetermined curvature and by mounting thesurfaces in angularly related planes, the light from several sources maybe reflected to within a single restricted area to thereby intenselyilluminate the indicia when viewed therewithin. In this construction thefailure of light from any one source does not render our deilectingsurfaces inoperative since the light from another source will still beeective. 5

While we have described and illustrated several embodiments of ourinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variouschanges, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made thereinwithout departing from the lo spirit and scope of our invention, as setforth in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A plate having indicia. the top faces of which are provided with aplurality of like embossed sur- 15 faces, each of which slopes in twodirections for reflecting substantially all of the impinging light raysfrom a source in a limited area in a predetermined direction, the saidsurfaces being disposed to have the areas of reflected light overlap toeffect 20 a continuous zone of predetermined height and width.

2. A plate having indicia, the topfaces of which are provided with aplurality of like embossed surfaces, each of which slopesin twodirections for 2 reflecting substantially all of the impinging lightrays from a source in a limited area in a predetermined direction, thesaid surfaces being disposed to have the areas of reflected lightoverlap to effect a continuous zone of predetermined height and width,which is conned to a position at one side only of a vertical planeperpendicular to the plane of the sign.

3. An indicium having a plurality of similarly formed reectingprotuberances provided with two sides substantially perpendicular to theplane of the base of the sign, the reflecting side sloping in twodirections for reflecting impinging light rays in an area ofpredetermined height and width, the dimensions of which may be varied bychanging the contour of said slopes, the direction of which may bevaried by changing the height of the perpendicular sides.

4. A sheet metal plate having indicia embossed thereon and provided witha plurality of curved surfaces each of which is inclined to said platewhereby substantially all of the impinging light rays are dispersed in azone of limited dimensions in a predetermined direction, the saidsurfaces being positioned relatively close to each other 5o whereby saidzones overlap to provide a continuous area of reflected light.

5. Raised surfaces for an indicium sloping in three directions from asurface disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the signand so interrelated as to present reflecting surfaces to an approachingsource which encompasses said source by a majority of its own reectedrays and by rays from another direction of approach.

6. A sign having indicia provided with a plurality of reflectingsurfaces, each of said indicium formed with a plurality of surfaces,substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sign, and with aplurality of surfaces curving therefrom, said surfaces being sointerrelated that light from a 65 source on one side of theperpendicular to the plane of the sign will be reflected from saidcurvedl surfaces, said light being reflected in overlapping zones.

7. An indicium provided with a plurality of reflecting surfaces, atleast one surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane ofthe indicium, and surfaces curving therefrom, said curved surfaces beingso interrelated that light from a source on one side of theperpendicular to 75 scosso@ the plone of the indlcium will loe reectedfrom said curved surfaces in overlapping zones.

o. A sheet motel indicium provided with em hossed reectlug surfaces,portions of which reect light ross from o source in s. ted orcothereeoout, in comlolinetion with additional embossed reectins surfscessloping from sur-feces disposed substentisily perpendicular to the ploneof the lndicium for reecting light roys from e second source insubstontislly the some orco as that which the mst source encompasses.

Si. A plete haring indicio, the top foce oi which is provided with solurolity of like embossed surfeces, eoch of whichces in two directionsfrom at leest one surface which is disposed substantiallyperpendicolari' to the' plone of the sign for reflectlosr suustontiy elloi the implng light rsys from o source to o limited eres about soldsource.

i0. An indicium llovido surfaces oi such congurotiou tiret s portion ofsaid surfaces ore so shaped ond interrelsted es to reect iight roys fromon approaching source, While smother portion oi seid soces oi' dlereutpe and rela.- tlon reects iight rays from s, source xed relative to saidindoium, the reflected rays from both sources encom A seid epproschingsource during e, substantial portion of its approach.

l1. in indicium having raised surfaces oi such. congurstion and sointerrelated tiret s portion oi' said surfaces reect light rays from anepproocliing source within on eres, encompassing said source whileanother portion of seid surfaces reiiect light rays from s. secondsource within seid encompsssing eres, said surfaces sloping from e,third surface which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the ploneof said indicium.

12. An indicum provided witii e, plurality oi embossed eres-s eachformed with at leest one side disposed substantially perpendicular tothe plone of the sigo and o plurality of surfaces curving therefrom,seid surfaces being so related as to have the light reected from onesurfoce overlap that reected from en adjacent surface and so disposed asto direct such. reected light over s 20 predetermined limited ores atone side ol. e perpendicular to the plane of said indicium.

S ii 0f' v F. ARBUC. GUY H. commes..

